Semiautomatic starting control



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me@ 3L @935 M. P. WHITNEY SEMIAUTOMATIC STARTING CONTROL Filed Apil 29, 1933 Patented Dec. 3l, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Eclipse Machine Company,

Elmira Heights,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 29,

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to a semi-automatic starting control for internal combustion engines and more particularly to a protective device for a starter control to prevent undesired 5 actuation of the starting mechanism.

In semi-automatic starter controls of the type in which the manual operation of an engine controlling element serves to start the engine in case of stall, it is desirable to incorporate protective features for preventing such operation of the starting mechanism at improper times such as when the engine is rotating backward. It is an object of the present invention to provide such a protective device which is enicient and reliable while being simple in construction and readily applied to commercial forms of starter controls.

It is another object to provide such a device which automatically renders the starter control f inoperative in response to a backfire or back- 20 ward rotation of the engine.

It is a further object to provide such a device which restores the starter control to operative condition when the backfire or backward rotation of the engine has ceased.

It is another object to provide such a device which delays such restoration to operative condition for a predetermined time.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view, partly diagrammatic, of a semi-automatic starter control embodying a preferred form of the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a semi-diagrammatic illustration of a second embodiment of the invention, the backfire controlling element thereof being shown in enlarged section.

Referring first to Fig. l of the drawing, there is illustrated an internal combustion engine l, of commercial form having a fuel intake system including an intake manifold 2. A manually operable member in the form of an accelerator pedal 4 is hinged at 5 to a floor board E and arranged to suitably engage a transmission element in the form of a plunger l slidably mounted in the floor board and pivoted to a hinged supporting member l0 as indicated at 8. A throttle link 3 is pivoted to the plunger 'l as indicated at 9 and is arranged to operate the throttle of a carburetor, not illustrated, whereby depression of the accelerator pedal 4 causes admission of fuel to the engine in the usual manner.

1933, Serial No. 668,584

trol member il is provided in the form of connections which are normally in operative condition but which are disabled responsive to the self-operation of the engine. As here illustrated, these connections comprise a movable connecting element in the form of a lever i6 arranged nor- 15 mally in the path of an abutment Il on the plunger i and hinged at I8 to a cross shaft I9 which is suitably journaled to the engine frame as indicated at 2i and 22. An operating lever 23 is suitably fixed to the end of shaft i9 as indicated at ifi and has pivoted thereto at one end as indicated at a link 2t arranged to engage the plunger 27 of the starting switch i4. The opposite end of lever 23 is preferably provided with suitable adjusting means 28 adapted to engage a fixed stop member 29 in order to define the idle position of the lever.

Means are provided for disabling the connections responsive to intake vacuum of the engine by swinging the lever I6 out of the path of abutment ti. As here shown this means comprises a link 3| suitably attached to the lever I6 as indicated at 32 and connected at its opposite end as indicated at 33 to a plunger 3Q arranged to be retracted by a iieXible diaphragm 35 forming one wall of a closed chamber of a vacuum controlled device 35. Chamber 30 is connected by means of suitable tubing 3l and 38 to the intake manifold 2 of the engine whereby vacuum in said intake manifold causes the diaphragm to be deflected in a direction to withdraw the lever l@ from its operative position.

According to the present invention, inea-ns are provided for disabling the connections from the accelerator pedal i to the starting switch I4 responsive to backfire or backward rotation of the engine by withdrawing the lever i6 from the path of movement of plunger l, and preventing the return of said lever for a predetermined time.

As here illustrated this is accomplished by prof viding independent electromagnetic means for withdrawing the lever SG from operative position, responsive to pressure in the intake manifold of the engine caused by backfire or backward rotation thereof. This is accomplished as shown in Fig. l by providing a solenoid 3S connected rigidly to the shaft I9, and by mounting a plunger il on the link 3! in position to be actuated by said solenoid to swing the lever I6 to inoperative position. A control circuit for the solenoid 3S is provided comprising battery H, lead 62, manual switch i3 which is preferably the ignition switch of the engine, leads and B5, contacts 46 and 5l, lead 33 and ground connection 39. Contact 45 is mounted on a hinged armature 5l which is normally maintained in position to close contacts 55, lil by suitable means such as a spring 52, but which is arranged to be opened by means of an electromagnet 53.

The electromagnet 53 normally energized when the ignition switch i3 is closed by means of a' second control circuit including battery l, ignition switch L53, lead 5i, a circuit controlling device 55, lead 55 and ground connection 5l whereby contacts 55, il are normally held open while the engine ignition is on and the solenoid 39 thereby maintained deenergized.

The automatic circuit controlling device 55 constitutes switch means for breaking the control circuit ot the solenoid 53 in response to pressure in the intake manifold. This device as best shown in Fig. 2, comprises a cylinder 58 having a piston 59 slidably mounted therein, said piston being provided with an upwardly projecting rod 6l'. A casing member Eil xed to cylinder 55 carries two insulated binding posts 52 and 65. Binding post 62 carries a resilient strip of bimetal 53 on the free end of which is mounted a contact 65. The second binding post 65 carries a xed contact 55 with which contact Sli is normally in engagement whereby the control circuit for'electromagnet 53 is normally closed.

Bimetal strip 53 carries near its free end a contact Sl, and a contact 63 is mounted adjacent thereto on a spring strip 5S which is grounded to the casing 5t of the circuit controlling device. Spring strip 59 normally maintains contact 63 out of engagement with contact 5l but is arranged to beY engaged by the upper end of piston rod 6l when the piston 59 is moved upwardly whereby contact 58 is caused to engage contact 6l pushing up the bimetal strip 53 and at the same time grounding the control circuit therethrough. The heavy current through the bimetal strip 53 caused by such grounding of the circuit heats the bimetal causing it to bend away from contact E5 and the control circuit is opened at contacts 65, 65, both by the pushing up and the bending of bimetal strip 53, said circuit Vremaining open until the contactr has returned to its normal position and the bimetal has been permitted to cool oit.

The controlling device 55 is connected to the intake manifold as illustrated in Fig. l preferably by means of a tube i2 whereby pressure in theintake manifold caused by backfire or backward rotation of the engine is transmitted to cylinder 58 to move piston 59 in a direction to close contacts 6l, 5S.

In the operation of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. l, starting with the parts the positions there shown, closure o ignition switch 43 completes the second control circuit throughV the circuit controlling device 55 thereby energizing electromagnet 53 to open contacts 46, 61. Solenoid 3S is thereby maintained deenergized and the lever i5 remains in operative position. Pres- Vsureiby the operator on the accelerator pedale therefor` causes rotation of the shaft I9 which is transmitted by'lever 23 and link 26 to close the starting switch i6 and cause the engine to be cranked in the usual manner. When the engine starts, the vacuum in the intake manifold 2 operates the vacuum controlled device 36 to withdraw the lever i5 whereupon the engine may be controlled by the accelerator pedal in the usual manner.

Should the engine backre or rotate backward the pressure generated thereby in the intake manifold causes the piston 55 of the circuit controlling device 55 to operate the rod 6| to move contact 58 into engagement with contact 61 thus pushing up and grounding the bimetal strip 63. Contacts 5ft, 55 are thus opened by the combined mechanical and heating eiect of the engagement of contact 58 with contact 51.. Electromagnet 53 is thereby deenergized causing contacts 45, lil to close, thus completing the first control circuit through the solenoid 39. Energization of solenoid 39 causes the plunger 4I to move' the link 3l in a direction to swing the lever l5 into inoperative position. Undesired operation of the starting mechanism is thus prevented Y during the continuation of the backward rotation of the engine and thereafter until the bimetal strip 53 has cooled oi and permitted contacts tl and 65 to reclose.

In Fig. 2 there is illustrated a second embodiment of the invention designed to eliminate the necessity for the relay contacts 55, 5i. As herein fil illustrated the elements of the starter control and the means for disconnecting the same responsive to self-operation of the engine are the same as in Fig. l and are similarly numbered. The means for disabling the connection in case of backre, however, comprises in this case a solenoidy i3 adapted to operate a plunger 'I4 which is loosely7 mounted on the link 3l. An abutment l5 is provided on the link 3l for limiting movement of the plunger 'il in the releasing direction, and a spring 'i5 bearing against the plunger and against a bracket 'il' for solenoid 'i3 normally holds the plunger 7d against the: stop l5, thus biasing the link 5i Vtins/ard idle positionas illustrated; Energization of the solenoid 13, however, moves theV plunger l away from the Vstop l5 thus permitting the lever i5 to be moved into its operative position by the resiliency of the diaphragm 55 or by any other suitable means.

A control circuitV for solenoid 'i3 is provided comprising the battery i l, lead ft2, ignition switch 53, lead'i, circuitJ controlling device 55, lead i9 and ground connection Si. It will thus be seenV that when the ignition switch 55 isV closed, the solenoid 13 will be energized to withdrawthe plunger lt. However, when the 'circuit controlling device opens contacts 55, 55, the solenoid 'i3 is deenergizedand the spring 'i6 causes plunger lli to move the link 3l to swing the lever l5 into inoperative position.

Y In the operation of this embodiment oi the invention, closureoi the ignition switch 43 places the starter control in operative condition by energization of solenoid 13. /Operation'of the accelerator pedal '4 thereupon causes starting 'of the engine in the usual manner. As soon as the engine becomesself-operative the vacuum device 55 withdraws the lever i6' to inoperative position whereupon Vtne accelerator pedal is disconnected from the'starting Vmechanism and is operated to vcontrol the engine in the usual'manner.

Should the engine baokre or rotate backward, the pressure generated thereby in the intake manifold 2 causes operation of the piston 5S of the circuit controllingA device 55'to close contacts 75 61, $8, thereby opening contacts 64, 66, breaking the control circuit at that point. The consequent deenergization of solenoid 73 permits the spring T6 to move the plunger 14 and thereby cause the link 3| to withdraw the lever i6 to inoperative position. This inoperative condition is maintained until the pressure in the intake manifold 2 is dissipated and the bimetal strip cools off and allows contacts 64, 66 to reclose.

Although certain embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that other embodiments are possible and changes may be made in the dimensions and arrangements of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as dened in the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

l. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a manual control member therefor, a starting motor for said engine, connections whereby operation of the engine control member causes energization of the starting motor, means responsive to self-operation of the engine for disabling said connections, and independently operable means responsive to backward rotation of the engine for disabling said connection,

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a fuel intake system and an engine control member, starting mechanism for said engine, connections whereby operation cf the engine control member causes actuation of the starting mechanism, means responsive to intake vacuum of the engine for disabling said connections and independent means responsive to positive pressure greater than atmospheric pressure in the intake of said engine to disable said connections.

3. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a fuel intake system and an engine control member, starting mechanism for said engine including a starting switch, connections whereby operation of the engine control member causes closure of the starting switch, including a transmission device movable by the engine control member and a movable connecting element normally in the path of movement of said transmission device, means responsive to forward rotation of the engine for withdrawing the connecting element from the path of the transmission device, and independent means responsive to reverse rotation of the engine for withdrawing the connecting element from the path of the transmission device.

4. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a fuel intake system and a control member therefor, starting mechanism for said engine including a starting switch, means for closing said starting switch by operation of the engine control member, electromagnetic means for controlling said closing means, a control circuit for said electromagnetic means including switch means, and means responsive to positive pressure above atmospheric in the intake system of the engine for operating said switch means to cause said closing means to be disabled, and means responsive to vacuum in the intake system for disabling said closing means.

5. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a fuel intake system and an engine control member, starting mechanism therefor including a starting switch, connecting means for closing said starting switch by operation of the engine control member, means including an element movable in response to vacuum in the fuel intake system for disabling said connecting means, electromagnetic means for controlling the movement of said element, and a control circuit for said electromagnetic means including a manual switch means, switch means in series therewith, and means responsive to pressure in the intake system of the engine for operating said latter switch means.

6. In a semi-automatic starter control for internal combustion engines, an engine control member, a starter switch, connecting means including a movable lever member for closing the starting switch by operation of the control member, means for biasing said lever toward inoperative position, electromagnetic means for overcoming said biasing means, and a control circuit for said electromagnetic means including a manual switch, switch means responsive to backward rotation of the engine for opening said control circuit, and means responsive to forward rotation of the engine for moving said lever into inoperative position.

7. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a fuel intake system and an engine control member, starting mechanism for said engine including a starting switch, connections whereby operation of the engine control member causes closure of the starting switch including a transmission element movable by the engine control member, a movable connecting element and means for moving the connecting element into the path of movement of said transmission element, means responsive to reverse rotation of the engine for withdrawing the connecting element from the path of the transmission device and means for preventing return movement of the connection element for a predetermined time after such reverse rotation stops.

MAURICE P. WHITNEY. 

